Page 25 of Shifting Gears

“In a legal distillery, or…?”

“The legality is surprisingly flexible. If someone offers it to you, it’s best not to ask where it came from,” Dani says airily.

“Noted.”

Dani points out more constellations, telling the myths and stories to match each one. Most of them Eleanor knows, but Dani tells them differently than any book she’s ever read. In return, Eleanor relays the scientific names and designations of the brightest ones, peppering Dani with interesting facts and taking full advantage of being able to see them all.

Her father had considered her astrophysics degree a waste of time and money since it couldn’t be applied to anything at CromTech, which is why she’d moved on to something more practical in grad school, but she’s always loved learning about the stars. The night sky was just about the only consistent thing in her inconsistent childhood.

Eleanor falls asleep staring up at the moon, listening to Dani’s low, soothing voice telling her the story of Perseus and Andromeda.

Unfortunately Eleanor wakes up in a less pleasant way—stiff, damp, and itchy. The sky is light when she opens her eyes, the moon hanging low and dim, but the sun hasn’t quite risen yet. A light mist is hovering over the long grass around the truck, clinging to the blades and making them glisten. It also clings to Eleanor’s clothes and skin, and she shivers absently as she stretches her numb arm out and flexes her cold fingers.

Beside her, Dani stirs. There’s a confused, endearing little frown on her face when she opens her eyes.

“Shit,” Dani says, blinking rapidly and sitting up. “Oh, man, I didn’t mean to fall asleep. You must be freezing!”

“I’m fine,” Eleanor says through chattering teeth. Dani bundles the blankets up around Eleanor’s shoulders, hopping down from the truck bed to help her toward the passenger door.

“I’m so sorry, seriously. Come on, I’ll drive you home.”

Dani drops Eleanor off at her front door with a cheerful wave in the small hours of the morning. Eleanor fixes herself a cup of tea and a hot water bottle once she’s changed into dry clothes, scratching at one of what feels like two dozen bug bites on every exposed part of her body. But even that doesn’t dampen her mood.

Despite the discomfort, the night was worth it.

* * *

Three days later, when Eleanor is curled up in bed with the worst cold she’s had since she was a teenager, she re-evaluates her initial assessment.

“Stupid outdoors,” she grumbles, blowing her nose for the thousandth time. She’s so congested that she’s sure she’ll never regain the full use of her nostrils. “Stupid tree house,stupidcold.” She’s tired and sore and unbelievably grumpy, but, even so, Eleanor would probably do it all again.

She’s interrupted from her misery by something vibrating under her pillow. Fishing around for the source, Eleanor pulls out her phone, where Ash’s contact photo is flashing with an incoming call.

Eleanor flops back against the pillows as she answers.

“What?” Eleanor groans.

Ash laughs on the other end of the call. “Good lord. You sound like you went on a cigar binge. Are you alive?”

“I’m sick,” Eleanor mutters, sniffling miserably. “Leave me alone.”

“You’re sick?” Kayla’s voice echoes in the distance. Eleanor sighs. Never one without the other. “You never get sick. How did you get sick?”

“Fell asleep outside,” Eleanor mumbles into her pillow. The sun is percolating through the closed curtains, making her yellow bedroom walls glow. It might be soothing if it weren’t for her blaring headache.

“How the hell did you manage that?” Kayla asks.

Eleanor loses herself in a coughing fit before she can answer. “Stargazing. With Dani.”

“Who the fuck is Dani?” Ash asks.

Eleanor sincerely wishes he were here, specifically so that she could punch him.

“The mechanic!” Kayla says.

“Oh! Wait. Did you—?!” Ash exclaims. Eleanor can hear Kayla gasp.

“Eleanor!” Kayla yells, but before they can build up a head of steam Eleanor cuts them off.

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